MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University softball team rallied from four runs down in the bottom of the seventh to win the second game, lifting the Rangers to a sweep of Elizabethtown College in a Landmark Conference doubleheader on Saturday at a sunny Drew Softball Complex.
Drew (18-9, 4-2 LC) captured the opener 8-0 in five innings on a one-hit, 10-strikeout masterpiece from senior
Bailey Comeau before winning 6-5 in Game Two.
Trailing 5-1, the Rangers embarked on their comeback when freshman
Josie Di Troia worked a pinch-hit leadoff walk. Freshman
Ashlyn Cassetty then reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt before pinch-runner
Aurora Marino scored on an error by the catcher to make it 5-2. Senior
Madi Precht followed up with an RBI-double to bring the Rangers to within two.
After senior
Molly O'Brien reached on a bunt single that scored Precht, making it 5-4, the Rangers were down to their final out when freshman
Fran O'Kleasky ripped a triple down the leftfield line to even the score. Sophomore
Deja Robinson then drew a walk before O'Kleasky trotted home with the winning run when the catcher threw away the return throw to the pitcher with
Teagan Bradley at the plate.
Precht, O'Kleasky, and O'Brien finished with two hits apiece in the second game while Bradley (4-5) earned the win in the circle, tossing a complete-game six-hitter while striking out seven.
In the opener, Comeau (8-2) allowed just four baserunners – a first-inning single from Kristen Aydelotte and three walks. She had at least one strikeout in every inning and retired the last six batters she faced.
The Rangers backed Comeau with single runs in the first and third, then broke the game open with a six-run fourth, which included RBI-doubles from Precht, freshman
Haley Meierhofer, and Di Troia as well as a run-scoring single from O'Kleasky.
Precht, Di Troia, and O'Kleasky each ripped two hits for Drew in the opener.
The Rangers are back in action next Saturday, when they host Juniata College at 1 p.m. on Senior Day.
